If you want more details and methods for writing a great CV,
planning and achieving good career developments and helpful job changes, read
on.

While the basic rules of a good CV remain constant, the world of
work and business changes quickly. This especially impacts on how managers and
graduates can best show themselves to be outstanding candidates.

Read and use the basic CV rules, then take time and effort to define
your own special qualities (for example see
what successful progressive employers
need) so that you offer strongly differentiated capabilities which promise
special and relevant value to a potential employer.

Keep your curriculum vitae simple. Your curriculum vitae must be
concise. Your curriculum vitae must be easy to read. Your curriculum vitae must
sell you. And your curriculum vitae must be tailored to what the reader is
looking for.

These CV and letter principles apply to all career moves. Having a
good CV is essential for full-time jobs, part-time, internal, external,
promotions, new jobs, career changes, internships and work experience
placements - wherever an employer or decision-maker is short-listing or
interviewing or selecting applicants.

Short-listed and successful candidates are invariably the people who
provide employers with the best CVs and best covering letters.

A CV does not have to be a text document. It can be a video. If a
picture tells a thousand words, imagine what moving pictures can convey about
you. The technology exists now for anyone to create a video CV, and to upload
it onto a website - including this one.

These notes are therefore not restricted to text-based CVs. The
principles are good for your video CV too. Text or Video - the same principles
apply.

How you perform at the interview or group selection is of course
crucial, but only the people with the best CVs and letters get to that stage.

CV writing is a form of marketing or advertising, when the
product is you.

This is especially so now when you can publish your CV - and/or
video CV onto websites.

Opportunities increasingly enable you to create an impressive
'new-media CV' and then to proactively market yourself to employers where you
can be seen, and also referenced by you in letters and hard-copy documents.

Your CV must sell you to a prospective employer, and compete against
other applicants who are also trying to sell themselves. So the challenge in CV
writing is to be more appealing and attractive than the rest.

This means that your curriculum vitae must be presented
professionally, clearly, and in a way that indicates you are an ideal candidate
for the job, i.e., you possess the right skills, experience, behaviour,
attitude, morality that the employer is seeking. The way you present your CV
effectively demonstrates your ability to communicate, and particularly to
explain a professional business proposition.

Put yourself in the shoes of the employer: write down a description
of the person they are looking for. You can now use this as a blue-print for
your CV. The better the match the more likely you are to be called for an
interview.

If you find it difficult to match your own CV description to the
requirements of the role, then perhaps the role isn't for you. There's little
or no point distorting or falsifying yourself in order to get a job. If you
falsify yourself in your CV you'll be unlikely to provide the necessary proof
of your claims at interview, and even if you manage to do this and to get the
job, then you'll not be able to do the job enjoyably without stress.

Obviously lying in a CV is a risky strategy, especially about
qualifications, and you should avoid any such temptation. Better to be proud
and confident of who you are. Integrity and reputation are more important than
qualifications. A CV with a lie is an embarrassment, or even a dismissal,
waiting to happen, sometimes years later when you've a lot more to lose.

Blow your own trumpet, emphasise your characteristics, your
capabilities and achievements - this is all fine - but know where to draw the
line. Positive emphasis and strong presentation is good; falsehoods are
not.

On the point about 'blowing your own trumpet' (presenting yourself
within the CV in a very positive light) - many people find this difficult,
especially those with strong 'sensing' personalities, who see life in terms of
bare facts (make time to see the personality section, and read Jung,
Myers Briggs, etc - it will help you understand a lot about yourself). If you
are one of these people (in fact many people are) try to get help from someone
creative and enthusiastic to assist you in interpreting and writing very
positive phrases and descriptions about you for your CV. In your CV it's
important to emphasise your attributes in strong, relevant and expressive
terms; modesty doesn't work particularly well on any CV.

Additionally, there is a widely held school of thought that writing
such statements - powerful descriptions about yourself, your personality and
your strengths and capabilities - actually helps you to become even more like
the person you describe. It's related to
NLP, self-talk,
self-belief, and positive visualisation: we tend
to live up to our claims when we write them down and commit to them. Creating a
positive CV for ourselves helps us to grow and to become how we want to be.

These statistics relating to CVs and interviews were published in
the Guardian in July 2006. The survey quoted the sources: Cubiks HR, IRS, and
IAG. The survey findings serve both to remind job applicants and interviewers
of warnings, opportunities and critical aspects of CVs and related preparation
and approach for job interviews. The statistics also provide a basis for
formulating some very useful pointers for CVs and job interviews:

Apparently 86% of interviewers think CVs and application forms (we
assume all CVs and application forms) are not wholly truthful, whereas
separately it seems that 35% of CVs are actually factually correct, although
(for some reason, not actually explained) this apparently reduces to 23% for
CVs belonging to women aged 31-35. The precise source of these statistics is
not made clear, but the interesting point that comes from all this is that
people who are truthful, and can convince the interviewer as such, will place
themselves in an advantageous minority group, since the majority of interviews
involve CVs which contain lies, and/or are perceived by interviewers to do so.
So if you want to have an edge over most other CVs and applicants, tell the
truth. (For what it's worth this confirms what I've observed over the years
- an honest solid applicant will always be preferred to a dishonest 'star' -
integrity is considered to be a significantly vital factor among all good
quality employers.)

It seems that only 8% of interviewers believe that academic
qualifications reliably indicate future performance in the job. This confirms
that for all but the most academically-dependent roles (NASA scientists, brain
surgeons, heads of university faculty, etc), it's important to emphasise
strengths such as relevant achievements, capability and attitude, and
appreciation of what is required to make a difference in the role, rather
putting a lot of emphasis on academic qualifications.

Combined with the first point, these findings also confirm that
lying about qualifications on a CV and/or in an interview is a completely daft
thing to do, because seemingly most interviewers won't believe you (moreover,
66% of interviewers say that they check up on professional qualifications, and
56% check academic qualifications), and hardly any interviewers regard
qualifications as the most significant factor anyway.

N.B. This does not mean that you should not bother with training,
self-improvement, and striving for new professional or academic qualifications,
which are helpful for personal growth and for increasing your range and depth
of capabilities. The point is simply that there are far more important things
than qualifications in CVs and interviews.

Next is a crucial factor in CVs and interviews that's easy to
prepare for:

Apparently 59% of employers say they have to withdraw job offers
after receiving poor references about successful applicants. The survey doesn't
say what percentage of applications are affected, but we can presume that it's
a significant number if 59% of employers mentioned it as being a problem. This
means that lots of people are failing to prepare their references properly. It
also means that some people who are initially unsuccessful stand a
chance to be offered the job because the preferred applicant was found to be
rather less than they claimed to be, but only of course if the second-choice
applicant's references check out well. Given the high incidence of rejection
due to references, this will inevitably create a sensitivity among interviewers
and a desire to avoid the disappointment and time-wasting nuisance of receiving
a poor reference about a chosen candidate. Thus there is an opportunity for
applicants to increase their value (as perceived by the interviewer), to be the
first-choice candidate, or failing that to be reliable second-choice candidate,
by:

emphasising the availability of good reliable references on the
CV

taking good printed references to the interview (see the
reference letters page), and

ensuring that reliable referees are prepared and able to provide
excellent references when asked by the interviewer, should (when) the job is
offered

The survey findings also state that 85% of interviewers seek
references from at least one previous employer, which is further confirmation
of the need to cover this whole area professionally and reliably.

According to the research, these are the most common CV inaccuracies
(presumably from the perspective of interviewers):

employment dates (length of, dates from and to)

job titles

gaps between employment

qualifications, and surprisingly,

undeclared directorships

This is all very interesting because again it shows the
opportunities for applicants to sharpen up the reliability and truthfulness of
their CVs in certain key areas. It shows that interviewers will be sensitive
to, and therefore on the lookout for inaccuracies, distortions omissions and
funny smells generally in these areas, so again, be honest and
consistent.

On which point, rather than spend time trying to create a
'believable' web of deceit (which most interviewers will see though at some
stage anyway with the result that your your credibility will be shot to pieces,
along with the opportunity or job offer), spend your time instead thinking
about what you learned from the things you are trying to hide, and be proud
to have the courage to be honest about your past. If you lie about it then
it will continue to hang around your neck as a failure. If you hold your head
high and be honest, then you will gain respect, and in many cases the
interviewer will conclude that you have learned from your experience,
especially if you explain how and why this is so. Remember, lots of
interviewers will have considered hiding or distorting things in their own CVs
- nobody's perfect; and in fact the most impressive people in life and work are
generally those who've learned from and accepted their experiences, rather than
denying that they ever happened.

Whatever way you look at this, it makes sense to be truthful -
firstly to yourself - be proud that you have learned from your mistakes and
that you have the courage to admit them.

Don't try to hide failures, mistakes or shortcomings - accept them,
learn from them, seek to improve on them, and explain why and how this is
so.

And as important as anything else - don't let people judge you, and
don't work for anyone who does, because they will make your life a misery.

Your integrity, honesty and commitment are extremely valuable in
today's world - so work only for an employer who respects you for having these
qualities, and don't lower yourself to work for anyone who will not.

Presentation and sequence of items with your CV are very important,
as it is in advertising, and most people get it wrong, which makes it easier
for you when you get it right. When you are selling anything you need to get to
the key points quickly. The quicker the reader can read and absorb the key
points the more likely they are to buy. A well presented and well-structured CV
also indicates that you are professional, business-like and well organised. The
structure suggested below sells your strengths first and provides personal and
career history details last - most people do it the other way round which has
less impact. Structuring a CV like this you can immediately stand out from the
others and make a much better impression.

For all but very senior positions your should aim to fit your CV on
one side of standard sheet of business paper. For large corporation director
positions two or three sheets are acceptable, but a well-presented single side
will always tend to impress and impact more than lots of detail spread over a
number of sheets. Always try to use as few words as possible. In CV writing,
like advertising, "less is more". This means you need to think carefully about
the words you use - make sure each one is working for you - if any aren't,
remove them or replace them. Never use two words when one will do.

Creating your own CV templates to use for different career moves can
save you time in writing different CVs for different types of jobs.

Changing CV words and phrases to suit different jobs is important.
Writing and keeping file copies of your own different CV examples and CV
templates can save you hours of work, and will help you to be able to produce
an individually 'tailored' CV for each of the different opportunities as they
arise.

Refer also to the writing technique page on
this website - it explains about use of fonts (typefaces), colour, headings,
capital letters, positioning, etc.

While certain CV writing principles are quite fixed and widely
accepted, a few issues are open to interpretation and are a matter for personal
decision. The main examples of variation and choice explained in this section
are:

In deciding about these and any other structural options, consider
the specific purpose and circumstances of your CV at the time, because this
often determines how best to structure it. Additionally, since you should
ideally be using different versions of CVs for different purposes, try to keep
a record of what works best, so you can refine a set of rules which are optimal
for you and the job markets you are targeting. Also seek feedback from
interviewers and employers - and anyone else with relevant experience - as to
what can be improved in your CV, so that you can progressively develop your
understanding of what sort of CV formats are most effective.

First - the rules for this should be different for printed CVs sent
through the post, electronic CVs passed to a safe trustworthy recipient, and
electronic CVs and personal data uploaded onto job websites.

In terms of CVs which you send or convey to secure and trustworthy
recipients:

You will see from the CV examples and templates that I advocate
reasonably open and full disclosure personal details on a CV.

You must decide for yourself if such openness is appropriate for you
and your situation and the vacancy.

Consequently the applicant has more freedom today to withhold
certain personal information on a CV about age or date of birth, marital
status, children or dependents. It's entirely a matter of personal opinion and
judgement whether to include such information.

There is no law which
compels or prevents the inclusion or withholding within your CV of personal
information that is subject to equality and discrimination
legislation.

However, the reality is that while there are laws in most
countries against discrimination, identifying and proving such discrimination
is virtually impossible at the application stage. So the only initial defence
is to withhold the information - or to make it a selling point.

The
dilemma for the applicant therefore is whether to be open and up-front about
personal information that (you fear) could put off an employer - regardless of
the legality of such a reaction - or to withhold the relevant personal
information in the hope of being short-listed for interview and overcoming any
prejudices at that stage.

On which point, be careful about your assumptions - while prejudices
obviously exist, your fears can be vastly worse than what actually happens. See
Murphy's Plough for example.

Another
view is that any employer who discriminates unreasonably against an applicant
is not worthy of your loyalty and abilities anyway, which suggests that full
open confident disclosure is the best way to go. Full disclosure is potentially
a wonderful filter to prevent you wasting your time with idiots. Who wants to
work for a bigot? Or even a decent organization which tolerates or fails to
recognise a bigot in a position of responsibility?

Moreover, modern
ethical employers will tend to respond positively to openness, and particularly
to someone who is proud of their personal situation and characteristics.
There's a case for simply being proud of who and what you are - and use your CV
to tell people why.

So whether to include date of birth or age on a CV
(or gender if it is not obvious from the name) is ultimately a matter of
personal choice, with arguments either way.

A guiding rule is
possibly:

If you are reasonably confident and have a level of inner calm and
resolve, and especially if you can make positive claims and advantages relating
to your personal circumstances, then full openness is probably the right
approach for you.

If you are less confident, or less able to pick and
choose a truly worthy employer, then arguably a more cautious approach is
justified.

In terms of CVs provided or uploded to job websites, or to less
secure and trustworthy recipients:

As highlighted by the serious security breach at a major jobs
website in January 2009, exposing the personal data of millions of jobseekers -
consider how much personal information you provide or include in any CV
uploaded to a website.

Personal data on a CV uploaded or stored electronically is - to one
degree or another - subject to security risk from accidental release of data,
or deliberate hacking and identity theft.

Therefore you should always adapt the level of personal detail
you include on your CV according to the security and trust that you believe is
offered by the recipient or destination for your CV.

(I am grateful to L Haughton, October 2007, for initially raising
the issue of personal details such as date of birth in CVs.)

You will see from the CV examples and templates that I advocate a
structure which puts the contact address and personal details at the foot of
the CV.

This is because the first vital seconds are best used in conveying
your crucial and relevant personal strengths. Given a profesionally presented
CV and cover-letter, most employers will assume you live in a house or a flat
of some sort, and have an address and a phone number, so what's the point in
wasting vital early impact to convey these mundane details?

This is particulrly the case for middle and senior-ranking job
vacancies, when screening is likely to be relatively professional and
responsive to an effective and strategically presented CV.

Positioning contact and address details lower on a CV, so as to give
maximum immediate impact to more relevant factors, is also very sensible when
you are applying for a role internally, when obviously you are already
known.

There is an argument however (and I am again grateful to L Haughton
for raising this issue) for putting address and contact details at the top of
the CV, to counter any possible risk of the CV being rejected at first glance
because address and contact details are not instantly obvious to the
reader.

This will be more of a factor for junior job vacancies, in which
perhaps the screening process is hurried or unprofessional, which would
increase the risk of a CV being rejected quickly because contact and address
details are not instantly apparent.

As with the issue of openness and disclosure of personal details,
the positioning of your contact and address details is a matter for your
personal judgement.

If you want a guiding rule, here's one:

Put the contact and address details at the foot of the CV for
middle and senior job vacancies, when you want maximum impact for your
job-related strengths.

Put your contact and address details at the top of the CV if
you have the slightest feeling that the vacancy or the screening process
involves processing large numbers of applications, and in which basic
skills and basic personal circumstances are the priority screening and
selection criteria.

An additional point of recent debate about CV presentation is
whether to include the words Curriculum Vitae or CV (or Resume) in the document
title next to your name.

This is a relatively minor issue, but an interesting one which seems
lately to have veered to a particular trend, which may not actually be as
helpful and correct as some people suggest.

As with several other aspects of CV writing and presentation, this
is open to different views, and you are free to decide for yourself. Here's my
observation and guidance on the matter - which basically is to include CV or
Curriculum Vitae in the heading. Here's the explanation.

In recent years a fashionable view has emerged suggesting that it is
somehow wrong to put the abbreviation 'CV' or the words 'Curriculum Vitae' (or
in American-English markets, the word 'Resume') at the top of a CV - typically
after the person's name, or alternatively before the name.

If anyone can send me any evidence or solid logic as to how and why
including 'CV' or 'Curriculum Vitae' in the document heading is unhelpful or
counter-productive I would be happy to show it here.

As far as I understand the communication and management of
text-based information, there is not really a good reason for excluding CV or
Curriculum Vitae from the heading of the document, whereas there is probably at
least one good reason for including one or the other.

Excluding CV or Curriculum Vitae from the heading does not usefully
save space unless there is something better to do with the space. Subject to
using a sensible font size, which you should anyway, there is no real space
saving by excluding CV or Curriculum Vitae from the heading, since nobody's
name is so long as not to fit comfortably into a heading line with the words
Curriculum Vitae, or the abbreviation CV.

Excluding CV or Curriculum Vitae does not actually save time for the
reader. There is no real time saving for the reader since the brain scans such
peripheral data subliminally (below a normal conscious level) - unless the
reader actually needs it - just as we are not conscious of the printed page
numbers as we read a book or newspaper.

Excluding CV or Curriculum Vitae is said by some to reduce the risk
of irritating the interviewer or screener. Does it? Does it really? Is anyone
out there actually irritated by this? I'd love to know. And I leave it to you
to decide if you want to work for an organization which employs people who are
irritated in such a trivial way.

Excluding CV or Curriculum Vitae from the heading arguably might
improve - very marginally - the visual presentation a CV, simply on the basis
that white space is generally helpful and pleasing to the eye of the reader.
But then so would reducing the CV content to about 35 words, in a specially
designed typeface, and engaging a designer for the layout too, which would be
extremely pleasing to the eye, but then the document would cease to be
optimally effective as a CV, and this is the point.

A CV must achieve a balance between presentation, content, and
increasingly how the data is managed and processed.

Given this, there are perhaps a couple of positive reasons for
including the abbreviation CV or Curriculum Vitae within the heading of the
document:

1. Crucially from the standpoint of data management, web/computer
searching, and data/document retrieval - on the web as a whole, on individual
websites, on organizational computer systems, and on personal PCs and other
local storage devices - the words Curriculum Vitae and/or the abbreviation CV
are central to the description and categorization of CVs as a type of document.
Any CV which includes the keywords Curriculum Vitae or the abbreviation CV will
obviously be found more easily than documents which contain neither. Excluding
the words Curriculum Vitae would in many computer systems, including websites,
require the document file to be 'tagged' with the words Curriculum Vitae in
order for it to be found using those keywords. If a document does not include
the keywords, and is not tagged as such, then it won't be found by anyone
searching for those keywords. Imagine a recruiter searching the web or a
website or a local computer file system using the keywords 'curriculum vitae -
french-speaking retail manager'. If you have the words 'french-speaking retail
manager' in your CV, but not the words 'curriculum vitae', your chances of
being found are somewhat less than if your CV contains the words 'curriculum
vitae'. If you want your CV to be stored and found electronically then this is
a significant point.

2. Your CV is a CV - a Curriculum Vitae - a very specific document
for a very specific purpose. It's not a biography. It's not a Facebook page.
It's not an personnel file or a meeting note. It's not any of the countless
other types of documents and files that could carry a person's name in the
heading. So say what it is. People who argue for the exclusion of CV/Curriculum
Vitae from the document heading typically justify this view from a narrow
perspective - that within the job application process 'it's obvious' that a CV
is a CV. This is fine, but what about all the other times? And what about when
you circulate or upload your CV speculatively - when the context is not
immediately obvious to the reader. The reason that humankind has developed a
system of names for things - especially significant things, and definitely
documents which have purpose beyond the initial 'obvious' context - is so that
items can be quickly recognized and processed in as many different systemic
environments as possible. A CV is a very good example of a document which has
purpose beyond initial context. It must stand alone. CVs commonly become
separated from their cover-letters. They get lost in archives and saved
accidentally in inappropriate file directories and folders. Identifying a CV
clearly as a Curriculum Vitae or CV at the heading of the document inevitably
increases its chances of being recognised and processed as one in the future,
and is therefore is sensible.

The tips and examples in this article still apply if you have little
or no work experience. Experience is in everything we do - especially in the
most important areas such as maturity (grown-up attitudes) and emotional
intelligence, communications, creativity, responsibility, determination,
integrity, compassion, problem-solving, etc - these are the qualities employers
really seek - so if you are leaving school or college or university and putting
together your first CV, then look for the relevant transferable experiences and
learning in your life experience and use these examples within the structure
provided on this page. You'll not have a career history, but you can certainly
illustrate and prove that you have qualities gained and learned from your life
experience, that employers will recognise and want.

Consider and show achievements and qualities from your life,
relevant to the job, such as:

and any other personal interests which illustrate your strengths,
capabilities and passions.

It is true that many employers need experienced people. Some are
firm about this; others can be persuaded to consider an applicant who has
special qualities but no experience - it depends on the job and the needs of
the employer. There are some employers who will be interested in fresh young
people who are keen to learn and who are highly committed, and who can
demonstrate that they possess other qualities that perhaps more experienced
people do not. This is why you need to write a good letter accompanying your CV
that explains clearly and concisely your strengths and values, and relevant
life experience, to an employer, and then to send the letter, and follow
up with phone calls to as many employers as you can. Be persistent and
determined, and you will find in time find an employer who wants someone just
like you. Meanwhile take advantage of every opportunity to learn and gain
experience in your chosen field: join discussion groups, read journals, attend
courses, lectures and exhibitions, study the newspapers and news websites
business pages, perhaps work part-time for a school and/or a voluntary
organisation or group who need your skills. This will enable you to build
useful and relevant experience that will definitely be seen as transferable to
employed situations, and it will also demonstrate to employers that you are
enthusiastic and willing to invest your own time in making a positive
contribution to help others and to help yourself.

If you are aiming at a job which asks for experience, yet you have
no experience in conventional employed work, look for other examples in your
life which prove that you have the right attitude and potential, and even some
very relevant transferable experience, despite it not being from employed
work.

Many employers prefer a young candidate who can demonstrate
reliability, self-motivation, drive and enthusiasm, etc., from having, for
example, applied themselves for years in low-paid paper-rounds and weekend
jobs, or who can show serious dedication to some other worthy activity, than
applicants who have a career history but demonstrate none of the vital
qualities that employers really value and seek in new recruits.

Given the fast-changing nature of work and organizations, jobs
increasingly offer the chance or require candidates to suggest how the role
itself might be shaped or developed or fully defined. It might be an existing
role, or a new position. Either way, this is a big opportunity which you should
grasp eagerly.

A role that has not been fully or completely specified offers great
opportunity for the successful candidate to prove they'd be able to define and
shape the role to benefit the employer organization in accordance with the
employer's needs, aims, challenges, priorities, etc.

Of course at the same time you'd need to prove you can cover the
stated/known essentials, but if you see or detect that role development is also
on the employer's wish-list, then create your CV accordingly.

As regards the unknown aspects of the job (which the employer might
say are 'to be defined', or 'yet to be developed'), the candidate needs to show
they understand how the role can operate to its fullest potential within the
organization. This aspect of role defining or development invites the candidate
to demonstrate on their CV that they'd be able to do just that - help re-define
or develop the role.

This involves more strategic interpretation than might usually be
expected in the role. People who can shape their role have to be able to see
outside the role and understand the role in a wider context than simply doing a
stipulated job.

Key attributes and abilities associated with this requirement would
typically include:

measurement and analysis of meaningful cause and effect - some
appreciation of productive use of time and resource in an organizational
context - this is really the crucial point: the capability to assess and judge
the role in a future organizational (and maybe also market) context

vision - appreciation of what's needed for the future; how things
are changing and how to meet those changes

objectivity, maturity, tolerance, patience, wisdom, etc - the
opposite of impulsiveness - so as to use the additional responsibility wisely
and fairly

and ideally (which can be a clincher) show a command and
knowledge of the role from a technical 'leading edge' perspective - as if you
were a specialised external consultant or expert, or perhaps a teacher or
writer in the discipline, or simply someone who takes a keen interest in the
most advanced thinking associated with the role - it's a matter of presenting
yourself as, and being, someone who sees the positive and future implications
of the role, not just the role itself.

The employer's ideal applicant in such situations is for an expert
to join them and manage the situation like a more senior strategic manager or
executive would be expected to do, given that they do not have such a person.
For a job applicant it's a great way to approach a job opportunity, especially
if you are keen to advance.

N.B. Many job vacancies offer this potential or flexibility even if
the employer does not state it. All good organizations need people who can see
beyond their own role; people who can develop the role, and also to develop and
advance as a strategic contributor within the organization. So approaching any
vacancy with an eye on development and organizational context is often a good
way to differentiate yourself from other applicants who limit their CV
presentation to the strict confines of the job description.

You should approach applying for internships in much the same way as
looking for a job. Therefore much of what appears on this page about CV writing
and covering letters for full-time jobs and career advancement will be relevant
if you are trying to find a placement for work experience or an internship. The
tips and ideas on the job interviews section are
also relevant to seeking and applying for and successfully gaining internships
and work experience placements.

It's essential to research prospective internship employers. And
plan this well in advance. People who leave things until the last minute reduce
their options, and increase the amount of competitive pressures involved. Also,
planning and researching early in the process will maximise the chances of
identifying and securing the best placements.

Employers will be impressed by people who have clearly planned ahead
of the rest. Employers will not be impressed by those who've obviously left
things late.

Be creative about the way you research your employer market
sector(s). First decide on the sector(s), and what you want to do.

Answer this:

Do you define your target sector(s) 'vertically' - according to
'vertical markets', such as retail, solicitors, accountants, charities,
healthcare, transport, sports, leisure, etc.; or do you prefer to define your
target employers 'horizontally' - according to services and professions that
are used across all industries, such as administration, sales, financial,
legal, creative, production, quality management, business management, human
resources, training and development, etc? Or perhaps a combination of the two,
for example, I want to get an internship as a HR person in a charity, or as a
production designer in a hi-tech manufacturing company?

However you define your target sector, it's important to do so,
because this gives you something specific to aim at. Clarity here is extremely
valuable. Clear aims have a much greater chance of being met than fuzzy or
indeterminate ideas. This is because we can build an action plan around a clear
aim. We can't build a plan around a vague idea.

The action plan starts with researching your target market or
sector, however you define it. Focusing on a defined sector helps because
certain economies of scale come into effect: commonalities exist between
similar organisations and situations which save our time and enable efficient
use of our efforts. We can get into a groove and a mind-set that will work in
lots of similar situations. Being vague and having no focus makes it impossible
to derive these advantages. Variety might be the spice of life, but it's not
helpful in putting together a targeted action plan, where focus, consistency,
familiarity, knowledge, expertise and professionalism are the important
criteria for success.

Research is relatively easy using the internet - but remember the
phone as well, especially when you locate a contact who might guide you. Try to
identify the focal points where information is gathered and disseminated for
your target sector(s). Most vertical industry sectors - and professions - are
represented by at least one trade association or professional body or
institute. Large sectors will be represented by many different trade
associations, bodies and institutes - each of which represents a sub-sector or
'niche' within the main sector. Each representative body will generally have a
trade magazine or journal, and also probably a website. These pivotal points
will enable you to find out most of what you need to know so as to identify
prospective internships (and employers). Use the phone to talk to people in
these organisations - editors and secretaries are very knowledgeable and many
are very helpful. Try to network and seek referrals from contacts, each time
asking politely for help - just be honest and courteous about what you are
trying to achieve and many people will be extremely helpful. Accept the fact
that you will find yourself barking up the wrong tree on a few occasions - no
problem - move onto the next point of contact. Sooner or later you will find
what you seek.

What you seek of course is of course a good list of potential
employers (and relevant contact details) who fit your criteria. Your criteria
will extend beyond market sector and job function. Geography, organisation
size, market position, style and culture might also feature in your ideal
profile of an internship organisation. Again, define and describe to yourself
what you are seeking - an employer profile - and use your research sources to
compile a list of the organisations that meet it.

Researching individual organisations on the internet and by
telephone, and by requesting details from them (sales brochures, annual
reports, etc) helps to build up a feel of the market and or professional sector
early on, and this individually focused research is very beneficial later in
the process when you begin to tighten your specification and list of
prospective employers. This detailed research will directly improve your
written approach, and you performance at interview.

When approaching organisations for internships or work experience
placements, resist the temptation to send out lots of emails. Letters are best.
Emails give a far lower rate of response than letters. Letters have to be
opened, but emails don't, and many are binned as junk or spam. Follow the
principles on this page to write and send the most impressive CV and
cover-letters possible. It's not necessary to have had loads of work experience
to create a great-looking impressive CV. See the notes above about
writing CVs with little
or no work experience.

See also the tips on business writing and
also the techniques for writing introductory sales
letters, which all relates to the process you are undertaking. Remember,
you are selling yourself. For that matter you should also look at the
sales training page too, which contains a lot
of useful guidance about identifying what people want and developing a
proposition to meet those needs, both of which are central to what you are
doing.

Telephoning before writing is a good idea. This enables you to
qualify the good opportunities and remove the no-hopers. Phone the PA (personal
assistant) of the decision-maker, so as to make the introduction, to ask about
and qualify the opportunity and process of application and selection, and ask
them to look out for your letter. If you are referred to another person or
department go with their flow unless you are convinced it's taking you to the
wrong place.

Carrying out telephone follow-up to the PA's, and your overall
persistence after you've sent your letters and CVs, will also greatly improve
your success.

Also helpful is networking (asking contacts for referrals and
suggestions about other opportunities) to find the opportunities that best suit
your capabilities and aspirations. Networking among smaller business in the
same sector can be very effective and would be a useful tactic for example if
you wanted to find a placement in a small firm situated nearby or connected
with lots of similar providers. Many owners and directors know each other well
and are often quite happy to refer you elsewhere. Just because firms compete
with each other does not prevent them from referring this sort of interest
between themselves when asked. So ask.

Editors of trade journals will often have a good idea of who are the
biggest graduate recruiters and who offer most internships within certain
sectors. Research can be as easy or difficult as you make it. Try to find the
people who know most about what you want to discover and seek their help.

When it comes to sending letters and CVs to your selected
organisations, writing personalised letters that explain why you'd like to work
for the particular practice gives you a significant advantage over other people
who send out an obvious mailshot-type letter, oriented to nobody in
particular.

Emphasise what you can do for the employer and your passion for the
field or profession or industry, rather than being seen only to seek what they
can do for you.

Be flexible on fees and salary rates. Depending on your
circumstances and the significance of the opportunity you might even offer to
work for minimum wage or for free. It's called 'delaying gratification' or
'investing in your future' and under certain circumstances it's a very
effective technique. Good employers will in any event generally pay a fair rate
irrespective of what you ask for, and they'll typically be very impressed by
people who love their field so much that they are prepared to make personal
sacrifices as an investment towards learning and experience.

"Everybody's got to have a first [internship] somewhere. My advice
is, hey, if you can find any way to afford it, try to work for free somewhere.
Do anything to work in your field." (Richard Hieb, astronaut, from from The
Internship Bible, 2003 Edition by Mark Oldman and Samer Hamadeh, as referenced
by The Princeton Review.)

Enthusiasm and passion and commitment go a very long way with high
quality employers. The decision-makers you will meet in these organisations
usually love their work and their chosen field. They've become successful
because of their passion and determination.

The best employers want to employ interns who demonstrate this same
level of commitment.

Irrespective of style and design, above all the presentation of your
CV needs to be high quality and clear and professional and
up-to-date.

This means not using poor quality photo-copies. Original prints are
best. This applies to letters as well. Photocopies and documents that have
obviously been mass-produced imply that the sender is throwing lots of mud at
the wall and hoping some will stick. This makes the recipient or interviewer
feel like you don't care much where you end up, and that you don't have a
particular reason for wanting to join their organisation, which is the opposite
impression that you need to be making. Poor quality photocopies reflect on your
own quality. Scruffy unprofessional documents will be interpreted as a sign
that the sender is scruffy and unprofessional. Old CVs that are dated several
months ago, or a photocopied letter with a blank space in which the sender
writes the date in biro, will suggest that you are not up-to-date nor
well-organised, and also that you've been looking for a job (obviously without
success) for some while.

On the other hand, pristine professional-looking documents on good
quality paper stock (100 gsm minimum ideally) will signify that you are
professional, and also that you can be trusted to communicate appropriately and
professionally when and if you end up working for the organisation concerned.
CVs and letters with current dates, that are purpose-written (tailored) for the
recipient, will suggest that you are recently available, selective, focused,
and also that you have logical reasons for believing that a good fit exists
between you and the employer, all of which weighs heavily in your favour
against all the mud-chuckers.

So: high quality, clear, professional and up-to-date CVs and
letters are vital.

According to research the
inclusion of a photograph of yourself is more likely to have a negative effect
than a positive one, but I guess that depends on what you look like and also
how the reader responds to the way you look, which is not an exact science at
all. Until photographs become the expected norm, if ever they do, unless you
have a very good reason to include a photo then it's probably best not to.

If you are asked to include a photograph of yourself, as certain
jobs require, then ensure you go about this professionally. Have a decent
photograph taken by someone who knows what they are doing. Definitely resist
any temptation to use a snap taken at the pub, or a picture of you dressed up
as Father Christmas or just about to climb the north face of the Eiger. One in
twenty interviewers might respond well to a zany picture, but most will be
rather wary: getting shortlisted generally depends on your seeming like a good
fit, not looking like you could be an oddball. If you want to convey that you
are free-minded or possess great individuality or creative strength, then use
the descriptions and evidence in your CV to demonstrate this. No-one relies on
a picture.

Clear and clean and professional does not always necessarily mean
10pt black font on 100gsm standard business stock paper, but be mindful that
the farther you stray from convention the greater risk you run that the reader
will take exception to the style. No-one ever threw out a great looking CV
because it looked too professional and business-like.

Of course certain industries - marketing, advertising, media, the
arts-related sectors - are more amenable towards unorthodox presentation and
design, but use your judgement. If in doubt keep it simple and professional.
Gimmicks and wackiness might initially grab attention, but most employers, even
if the job requires a high level of creativity, are seeking reliable
professional people they can manage, rather than someone who looks like they
could be a bit of a nutter. Use creative design with care. Make sure you are
happy the situation really warrants a strong display of creative individuality
before you reach for the holographic film and glitter.

This is obviously important if uploading your CV to a website, or
sending via email, or conveying your CV in digital/electronic format.

Use a file format which is most accessible to most
people.

For example:

Docx files are not accessible to everyone. (Docx files cannot be
opened by old versions of MSWord).

Doc files are therefore more accessible to most people than docx
files.

Pdf is arguably the most accessible and safest format. (Pdf files
can generally be opened by everyone - using Adobe Acrobat Reader - and also the
pdf format remains consistent when opened, unlike doc and other word processor
files, which are often affected by fonts and settings on the recipient's
computer.)

The excellent open source 'office equivalent'
www.OpenOffice.org
enables easy conversion from doc to pdf, although other methods exist.

Consider file format from the view of your target audience/reader
and choose a format by which the recipient will be able to access your CV
easily and reliably.

As a general rule, the more complex/unusual your code/fonts in your
CV, then the more it will make sense to use a pdf file format.

Another consideration is that unless you protect with a password,
word processor files like doc and docx can be altered by the recipient. It is
very much more difficult to alter a pdf file. This robustness of a pdf is a
further reason for choosing pdf format.

In certain sectors (media, marketing, design, etc) pdf files will be
recognised as a more appropriate presentation format, which inevitably reflects
as a subtle advantage for anyone demonstrating that they've chosen to use the
pdf format in presenting their CV.

As ever - for the presentation of any important information to a
specifically targeted reader - ask what file format they prefer.

Five to seven high impact statements that describe you. These are
effectively your personal strengths. Be bold, confident and positive when you
construct these key statements. Orientate the descriptions to the type of job
you are seeking. If you have a serious qualification and it's relevant, include
it as the final point. Look at the examples shown to see how these statements
use powerful words and professional business vocabulary. See the
examples of
CV words and phrases below.

Experience (and/or Specialisms or
Capabilities)

This is not your career history. It's a bullet points description
of your experience and/or your capabilities. Make sure you orientate these
simple statements to meet the requirements of the reader, in other words ensure
the experience/strengths are relevant to the type of job/responsibility that
you are seeking. Again try to use powerful statements and impressive language -
be bold and check that your chosen language and descriptions look confident and
positive. If you are at the beginning or very early stage of your career you
will not have much or any work experience to refer to, in which case you must
refer to other aspects of your life experience - your college or university
experience, your hobbies, social or sports achievements, and bring out the
aspects that will be relevant to the way you would work. See the notes for
writing CVs with no work
experience. Prospective employers look for key indicators of integrity,
enthusiasm, passion, determination, initiative, creativity, originality,
organisational ability, planning, cost-management, people-skills, technical
skill, diligence, reliability, depending on the job; so find examples of
the relevant required behaviours from your life, and encapsulate them in
snappy, impressive statements. Go for active not passive descriptions, i.e.,
where you are making things happen, not having things happen to you. See the
examples of
CV words and phrases below.

Achievements

High impact descriptions of your major achievements. Separate,
compact, impressive statements. Ensure you refer to facts, figures and
timescales - prospective employers look for quantitative information - hard
facts, not vague claims. These achievements should back up your Personal
Profile claims earlier - they are the evidence that you can do what you say.
Again they must be relevant to the role you are seeking. See the
examples of
CV words and phrases below.

Career History

A tight compact neatly presented summary of your career history.
Start with the most recent or present job and end with the first. Show starting
and finishing years - not necessarily the months. Show company name, city
address - not necessarily the full address. Show your job title(s). Use a
generally recognised job title if the actual job title is misleading or
unclear.

In most markets including the UK, modern employment discriminantion
law has reduced the need and expectation for many personal details relating to
age, ethnicity, marital status, etc, to be included in a CV. Aside from
obviously necessary contact details, the level of personal detail you must
include is now optional. This is a particular consideration if you are posting
or allowing your CV to appear on the web, where privacy can more easily be
invaded, or identities stolen. Therefore be cautious and sensible about how
much personal detail you show in a CV. See the notes about
CV personal details. Potentially this
section enables sub-headings to provide details of full name, sex (if not
obvious from your name), address, phone, email, date of birth, marital status,
number of children and ages if applicable, driving licence (hopefully clean -
if not state position), education (school, college, university and dates),
qualifications, and emphasise clearly that references are available. Keep all
this information very tight, compact and concise. Being at a more advanced
stage of your career is another reason for reducing the amount of personal
details shown, as some will be implicit or not relevant. On the other hand,
there is an argument for giving as much detail as possible for senior positions
as an indication of confidence. As for some other debatable aspects of what to
include, it is your decision, and one probably best made considering the
precise circumstances of the CVs purpose and likely exposure. The best position
for your address and contact details is a matter of debate. Many people suggest
these should be at the top of the CV below the heading, however this template
structure recommends that they be shown lower down the CV in the personal
details section. See the notes on where to put
CV contact and address details. It's
your decision - there are arguments both ways. Date the CV, and save as a file
with some indication of what type of job it was orientated for, as you should
ideally develop a number of different versions of your CV.

Education and Qualifications

Depending on the person and the job vacancy and the employer's
expectations it is often better to show education and qualifications in a
separate section, rather than within the Personal Details, as a way of giving
them greater emphasis and clarity. If so then this section can be placed after
or before the Personal Details, or given higher prominence if the situation
warrants it. The level of detail and type of detail in this section should
change as your career progresses. For example your school/college exams
subjects and grades would be highly relevant when you are seeking your first
job, but after working for 5-10 years, especially if you've achieved further
training and qualifications, your school/college qualifications warrant far
less detail and prominence. As ever,,include and emphasise details according to
the jobs you are seeking, and what the employers will find most relevant and
useful.

As production control executive with XYZ Corporation
introduced pc-based systems to reduce lead-times from 7 months to 3 days, and
inventory by 80% from £4.7m to £750k.

As materials manager with ABC Inc. introduced systems to
reduce lead-times from 3 months to 7 days, and inventory from £6m to
£2.5m, and 12% reduction in £12m procurement costs.

As operations manager with Newco Inc. a 10% reduction in
£7m procurement costs.

As general manager for Bigco Int. business achieved growth
from £800k to £5m, increased new customer growth from 20 to 600 per
annum.

Career history

(yr-yr) - Early career development with Newco Inc., Bigco
Int., Mainco plc.

(yr-yr) - ABC Inc. International Operations Manager.

(yr-present) - XYZ Corp. General Manager.

Personal details

Bill J. Bloggs(address)

Tel: 0123 456
78901

Born: (date) [This is entirely optional given age discrimination
laws.]

Educated: Sidmouth School (yr-yr), and Hertstone College (yr-yr),
Southtame College 1984, and University of Wales (yr-yr). (Again dates are not
obligatory due to age discrimination laws.)

References are available on
request.

(date - month/year of creating cv)

N.B. This example CV is fictional so content is random. Ensure your
facts and dates, etc., in your CV are all consistent with the content, and any
gaps are explained as positively as possible.

You can try different CV variations on the theme - provided you
stick to the main principles develop a structure to suit your own situation and
what the reader is looking for. A lot will depend on the type and level of
position you are applying for; generally the more senior, the more focus will
be on serious evidence of achievement in corporate life, and less on personal
profile and personal details. A CV doesn't need to be long or detailed - it
needs to show evidence that you offer relevant and impressive skills and
experience.

Good Co plcOperations Manager and later director, of market leading
micro-electronics controls systems supplier, comprising three home and seven
overseas European service centres, 130 technical and service staff, 1,200
customers, including over 300 government and defence departments and
installations. Rationalised parts and processes (yr-yr) improving trading
margins by 10%. Introduced new recruitment and training procedures reducing
staff turnover from 35% to 20%. Implemented new integrated systems for supply,
installation and servicing activities, saving 25% costs pa. Negotiated
successful contracts for several royal palaces and ministerial offices, home
and overseas.

N.B. This example CV is fictional contains inconsistent random
example data. Ensure that your facts and dates, etc., in your CV are all
consistent with the content, and any gaps are explained as positively as
possible. The inclusion of dates which would give clear indication of age are
not obligatory in CVs, due to age discrimination laws. Increasingly, similar
principles apply to other aspects of potential discrimination. Refer to the
explanations elsewhere on this page about personal details in CVs.

CV cover letters must be very professional and perfectly presented.
Use a smart good quality letterheaded paper, and ensure that the name and
address details and date are correct and personal for the recipient of the CV.
Do not use scruffy photocopies - ideally do not use photo-copies at all - CV
cover letters should look individual and special for the job concerned.

Look at what the job advert is seeking. Ensure that the key skills,
attributes and experience are reflected in the cover letter as well as your CV.
Draw the reader's attention to the fact that your profile fits their
requirements. Make the cover letter look like a special and direct response to
the job advert and personal profile that is sought.

These principles broadly apply and adapt perfectly well for
expressing interest in or applying for internal vacancies within your existing
employment organization.

Keep CV cover letters brief and concise. The reader will make
assumptions about you from what you write and how you write it and the quality
of your cover letter presentation.

As with any communications, ensure you include key words and phrases
which reflect what the reader is seeking.

sample cv cover letter

Ensure you lay the letter out neatly on your own good quality
letterheaded paper, with your own address top right or centre-top. Avoid fancy
fonts and upper case (capital letters). Use a single font 10-12pt size, maybe
bold or underlined for the reference or heading if you use one.

Full name and address details.

Date

Reference if required.

Dear (Mr/Mrs/Ms Surname)

(optional heading, bold or underlined - normally the job title
and or reference if they've asked you to quote one)

I enclose my CV in respect of the above vacancy/position (or state
position advertised and when it appeared). You will see that I have the
required skills, capabilities and experience for this position, notably (state
two or three attributes briefly).

It is perfectly fine to send a speculative CV to potential
employers, i.e., not in response to any advert. In this case you should obtain
the name of the senior person responsible for staffing decisions in the area
you wish to apply. (Call the company to find out the correct name and address
details of the relevant person.) In these cases obviously you won't know
precisely what skills they are seeking, but you should be able to imagine the
attributes that they might need. Here are some examples - include two or three
in your cover letter that best match your own profile and their likely
interest:

speculative sample cv cover letter sample

Again, ensure you lay the letter out neatly on your own good quality
letterheaded paper, with your own address top right or centre-top. Avoid fancy
fonts and upper case (capital letters). Use a single font, maybe bold or
underlined for the reference or heading if you use one.

Full name and address details.

Date

Dear (Mr/Mrs/Ms Surname)

(optional heading, bold or underlined - in this example you would
normally refer to a job title, and include with the word 'opportunities' or
'openings', for example: 'commercial management opportunities')

I am interested in any openings in the above area and enclose my CV.
You will see that I have skills and capabilities that enable me to make a
significant contribution to an organization such as your own, notably (state
two or three attributes briefly).

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely

(Sign)

(And below print your name - not hand-written)

As you can see, CV cover letters can be short and very concise.
Cover letters need to be short and very concise, otherwise people won't read
them. Writing a short concise, hard-hitting cover letter for CV also shows
confidence and professionalism.

The bigger the job, the longer you can make your CV cover letters,
but even cover letters for board level positions have more impact if they are
very short and concise. Make your key points in a no-nonsense fashion and then
finish.

Keep your CV and cover letter simple. Your CV and cover letter must
be concise and easy to read. Your CV and your cover letter must sell you, must
be tailored to what the reader is looking for.

I can get my own CV onto a single sheet side of A4, so I reckon most
of you should be able to keep your CV to a side of A4 too. Believe me,
interviewers and recruiting employers will thank you for it. Plus it shows that
you know how to communicate a complex series of facts quickly, concisely,
persuasively, and effectively.

Ensure that when you use or adapt or combine any of these
descriptions that you are able to back up your claims under questioning at
interview, and ideally to provide examples or evidence if asked. This is an
easy thing to prepare and get right, and will give you a huge advantage over
people who fail to approach their CV and job-search in this way.

As a general guide, try to 'blow your own trumpet' in your CV. Don't
be shy. Be bold.

One or two other people competing for the same job will be doing
just this, so be fair to yourself and ensure you do it too.

Cut and paste, mix and match, copy and use from the examples below
what works for you and makes you feel comfortable - and which provides a
description that gives you something to aim at and that you'll be proud to live
up to.

For each statement that you use, ask yourself the question that the
interviewer might ask:

"...Your CV says that you are [whatever description] - Can you
give me an example of this in your work experience?..."

and make sure you can think of a really good answer which provides
evidence and proof of your description.

Note that some phrases below are connected with dashes or
semi-colons. This is a semi colon; it separates two or more related pieces of
information; typically short phrases, while keeping them in the same sentence.
It's a longer pause than a comma; a bit less less than a full-stop or 'period'
in the US. Use punctuation in a varied professional way to illustrate your
ability with written communications. Many people lack the confidence or
knowledge to use semi-colons. Try to use them. Someone reading your CV who
appreciates good written language skills will notice the use of a semi-colon
and infer from it something positive about the writer. It's all part of the
presentation. Every little edge helps.

Ensure your grammar and punctuation format is consistent. For
example, in bullet points, either use full-stops or don't use them. Decide on a
format and apply it consistently. Same with capital letters at the start of
bullet points - either use them or don't - avoid mixing the grammar format.
These days grammatical tolerance is quite flexible - no-one will criticise you
for using or failing to use full stops or capital letters in bullet points -
the important thing is to be consistent. Same applies with headings, bold type,
and underlines: decide on a format and use it consistently. This helps keep
your presentation style simple, clear, tidy and professional.

Mix and match words and phrases to project yourself, and also
to reflect what your believe the job requires and what the
employer and interviewer are particularly seeking.

When describing your experience and achievements, select examples
that are relevant to the the job vacancy, and relevant to the manner in which
the employer requires the job be performed.

Not all experience statements (or any of them, in the case of
young people at the start of their careers) need to be work-based. Look for
non-work experience in other parts of your life that provides evidence of what
the employer is seeking.

Construct your experience phrases so that they will demonstrate
experience and capabilities that are relevant to employer's job requirements.
Create a list of 5-7 key activities which closely match the employer's needs
for the job, and for which you can demonstrate competence.

Decide what activities are relevant to you and the role, and then
create phrases which add context and scale to whichever of these basic
activities you choose to feature.

For example, if we take the activity 'planning', here's a phrase
which attaches some context and scale, in this case for a telesales
manager:

"Management, training and development of a consumer telesales team -
15 staff, 3,000 customers, £3m revenues."

Or, for example, if the role requires initiative and determination,
and you have no work experience:

"Conception and implementation of major fund-raising initiative for
(whatever cause) rasing (value) in (timescale)."

If you have no direct business or work-related experience for a
particular area, then look for non-work experience in other parts of your life
that provides evidence of what the employer is seeking. If you think about it
you will find some.

Employers will be looking for experience-type evidence in some of
these areas, depending on what the job requires. Think about what the employer
needs in the job. The job advert often provides good indicators if it is well
worded.

Structure your experience statements in the sequence that you think
reflects the priority in which the employer requires or sees them.

Experience-type examples:

planning

monitoring and recording and reporting

communicating

working effectively in a team

implementing and completing

resolving and solving problems and challenges

working under pressure and meeting demanding deadlines

dealing with customers - internal and external

dealing with suppliers and partners and associates

supervising others and activities

checking and policing

researching and exploring

analysing and investigating

coordinating activities and work

listening, understanding, empathising, helping and solving

scheduling

creating

designing and developing

controlling quality and testing

carrying out processes and procedures

using systems and tools

operating equipment and tools reliably and safely

operating and implementing procedures

initiating and instigating

developing and coaching and mentoring others

teaching and training others

decision-making

negotiating and mediating

interpreting and translating [situations, needs, demands, etc -
not just words and language]

A CV looks very impressive if it includes a few quantified and
relevant achievements - evidence about you and your capabilities that
relate to what the interviewer is seeking, and what the job role requires.

Not all achievements (or any of them, in the case of young people
at the start of their careers) need to be work-based. Refer to the list of
non-work experiences above for ideas
about non-work achievements too.

Describing your relevant and impressive achievements on your CV is
therefore a great opportunity for you:

to show that you understand what the job requires - in
terms of activities, behaviour and style (by the key aspects of your
achievements that you include in your CV)

to show that you understand the relative importance and
priority of the requirements of the role (by the achievements you list and
the sequence in which you list them)

to provide evidence that you fit the job and person
specification - that you've done the things they need to be done, or
similar things, in the past (achievements are evidence the interviewer
needs to see)

to provide evidence that you have the personal characteristics
that the role requires (achievements with suitable scale and context and
wording imply personal characteristics)

Employers recruiting for any type of job want to find people who are
a 'safe bet'; people who have a proven and impressive track record and/or with
evidence of appropriate capabilities, style, attitude and potential. Employers
don't like taking risks. Interviewers and recruitment decision-makers want to
get the best person for the vacancy, but they also want to protect their
personal reputation by avoiding making recruitment mistakes, which means
minimising risk.

Therefore the more evidence you can provide that you will be a
reliable and safe choice, and a very low-risk appointment, the better.

Showing impressive, well-worded achievements, that indicate you have
the sort of capabilities, experience and personality to match the employer's
needs, greatly increases your chances of being short-listed and progressing
through the interview process.

Achievements need to include size, scale and value factors so that
the interviewer can assess them properly. Scales enables measurement and
assessment. Woolly, vague statements without scale are nowhere near as
impressive as statements with clear hard facts and figures.

Context helps explain the claim, and helps position the statement as
being relevant to the job vacancy, and the characteristics that the interviewer
and employer are seeking. Context simply means the situation.

As ever, you must ensure you can back-up and be prepared to
provide evidence in support of your achievements statements and
descriptions.

Think about achievements you've attained in the past and identify
the ones which match or relate to the requirements of the new job. A relevant
achievement does not have to be in the same industry or even from a work
situation. A relevant achievement is evidence of relevant capability, style,
personality, attitude, knowledge or potential.

Then having identified some achievements that might serve your
purpose, think about how to word them so that they put the main points across
using as few words as possible. Choose the 3-5 best, most relevant and most
impressive.

Put yourself in the interviewer's shoes.

Ask yourself, "If I were recruiting someone for this vacancy, what
sort of achievements would I want to see in CV of the successful
applicant?"

Remember, not all achievements in a CV (or any of them, in the
case of young people at the start of their careers) need to be work-based.

Obviously if you have examples of some impressive work achievements
that fit well with the new employer's requirements then use them, however you
might have some impressive achievements outside of work which relate strongly
to what the employer is seeking. Think about it. Ask friends for some feedback
if you find it difficult to think about yourself in this way. Everyone's got
some impressive things about their own background which can be worded to form
impressive achievements in their CV.

Employers are seeking evidence of behavioural and attitudinal
characteristics, not just work skills, responsibilities and projects.

Bringing up a young family and looking after the home is an
achievement.

Overcoming a disability or personal difficulty is an achievement,
and many employers would regard this as hugely valuable and meaningful
experience.

For certain types of job vacancies these particular achievements,
suitably worded, would strike a powerful chord with the interviewer.

These days, 'life skills', emotional intelligence and maturity,
tolerance, wisdom, triumph through adversity, and other good character
indicators, are much sought-after attributes. In some cases more sought-after
than job-skills and specific work experience. If you possess any of these
attributes, then incorporate them as experiences or achievements into your CV.
For many of the best employers these characteristics are more significant than
qualifications. Everyone can get qualifications - but not everyone is a proper
grown-up rounded person. ('Grown-up' here means emotionally mature and well
balanced - nothing to do with age.) Qualifications are absolutely no indication
of personal integrity or character or 'grown-upness'. Employers need above all,
proper grown-up rounded people - people of character.

Your achievements of course convey your character, as well as your
capabilities.

Non-work achievements relate to all sorts of working attributes for
example organising, communicating, project-management, coordinating, managing
people, entrepreneurialism, determination, patience, planning, selling and
marketing, purchasing and production, creating things, developing and building
things, technical competence and expertise, research and
knowledge-management.

Thinking about achievements in this way is usually necessary for
young people starting their careers, when they obviously do not have much of a
work track-record. Looking for relevant non-work achievements is also relevant
for people seeking to change careers.

Hobbies and voluntary work are often a rich source of achievements.
See the list of non-work experiences for
ideas.

Many people, especially those yet to find work which really excites
them or enables them to use their own personal capability and potential, are
likely to have put significant energy and enthusiasm into a non-work activity
or passion.

It might be as secretary or treasurer for the local sports club, a
school governor, a campaigner for a cause or charity. You might run a website
for the local community group, or for a society or club.

In fact, most people's work achievements pale into insignificance
alongside the things they've achieved outside of work.

You are likely to be the same.

Think about the special impressive things you've done so far in
your life - and use them to create some powerful achievements statements for
your CV.

The reason most people don't do this is that most people are very
modest and self-effacing. They don't like to 'blow their own trumpet'. This is
normally fine and actually very admirable - until it comes to writing a CV.

If you are one of these people who prefers not to think about all
the great things you've done, you owe it to yourself to adopt a slightly more
outgoing and extrovert mindset for half an hour or so, and think about your own
achievements that should be in your CV.

Think hard about all the good things you've done - things that you
take for granted - there will be many things that represent just the sort of
achievements and evidence that the employer is hoping to see in a good CV.

Don't wait to be asked - think about it, identify your
achievements, shape them into impressive statements with scale and context, and
put them into your CV.

Everyone has a few very impressive achievements in their past - they
just need thinking about and then orienting into descriptions that fit the
personal qualities and capabilities that the interviewer and employer are
seeking.

As already suggested, emotional maturity, personal integrity,
triumph over adversity, and other indicators of good character, are powerful
attributes and much sought-after by good employers.

This is especially so if the person concerned is able to express and
articulate the effects and implications of their particular challenge, whatever
it might be.

Self-awareness, personal interpretation and the philosophy to see
personal difficulties in terms of positive opportunities and special outcomes,
are extremely impressive indicators of an exceptional personality.

Ironically many people who have overcome personal difficulties do
not make the most of the opportunity to present their strongest attribute -
that of having dealt with and overcome their difficulty.

If you have a disability it can be tricky deciding how and if to
explain it in your CV.

Same applies for other disadvantages or apparently 'negative'
aspects of personal history, experience, or self.

If you are struggling with a difficult 'negative' issue in your CV,
be bold and be proud of it. Be proud of what it has enabled you to become.

Find ways of explaining and describing this aspect of yourself in
terms of life experience, personal strength, tolerance, resilience, wisdom,
humanity, humility, and the many other positive characteristics that typically
derive from overcoming adversity.

As with other aspects of CV writing, if you are more naturally
inclined to focus on your weaknesses rather than your strengths (many excellent
and wonderful people do) it might help you to seek some feedback and input from
a good, positive friend. We are not always the best person to see our own
strengths - sometimes it's important to invite an outside opinion.

However you approach this, rest assured that good employers will
always be impressed by special people who have not only overcome and dealt with
personal challenge and difficulty - of any sort, even if self-inflicted - but
who are also able to articulate what it means to them, and how the experience
or difficulty has resulted in personal growth, learning, and the development of
special qualities, whatever form they take.

Explaining these issues can be done perfectly well in the
'experience' and 'achievements' sections of a CV.

Moreover these statements will, if worded well, stand out very
strongly, and be more impressive than anything else on the CV.

Remember, because it's true, and good employers know this:

"What does not kill us makes us stronger." (Attributed to
Friedrich Nietzsche, German philosopher, 1844-1900, based on his words: "Out of
life's school of war: What does not destroy me, makes me stronger." from The
Twilight of the Idols, 1899.)

As ever, the world is changing. It's changed significantly already
for many employers - especially large global corporations.

Progressive successful organizations mostly now recognize that the
rules of business and management are now very different to a generation
ago.

Consumers around the world are now part of a vast connected global
system, in which the spiritual and ethical characteristics of a corporation are
becoming more crucial than anything else. Maintaining and growing corporate
integrity is fundamentally vital.

We are now in a truly internationally connected market-place,
and one where old conventional competitive strengths are increasingly seen (by
opinion-formers, employers and customers) as being very narrow and inadequate.

This is a new age of much greater consumer awareness - and
especially of philosophical considerations.

Today's modern managers and every new graduate intake will be
challenged on two levels which until recently have not really featured in a
typical manager's skill-set:

how to understand and enable effective response to the
systemic characteristics of modern global and very fast-moving
market-place - a now vast and increasingly connected and inter-related global
system (of nations, cultures, technology, and 'swarming' effects), and

The best new and aspiring managers - especially new graduates
seeking to become a senior manager or executive - must therefore demonstrate a
new reach and vision - an awareness and capability (or at least potential
capability) distinctly beyond the old standards of product and management
quality and efficient effective profitable operations.

Jobs in marketing and people-management, and to a degree all other
organizational functions, increasingly must respond to this, for which reason,
the most effective managers in the future will be people whose capabilities
embrace these complex systemic and philosophical considerations, way beyond
conventional job skills.

This is increasingly the guiding and differentiating perspective of
recruiters and graduate programme decision-makers.

Successful job applications - notably for the prime jobs with the
most progressive successful employers - will increasingly be characterised by
such appreciation.

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